Continuous strip material process



Nov, 19, 1935. T, JAEGER 2,021,310

CONTINUOUS STRIP MATERIAL PROCESS v Filed March 24, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ED ARD T. JAEGER ATTORNEY CONTINUOUS STRIP MATERIAL PROCESS Filed March 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .INVENTOR EDWA "r. JAE-GER ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNIT E'D- STAT-E s- PATENT OFFICE ApplicationfMarch-24, 1932, Serial No. 600,926-

8' Claims.

My invention-relates to novel apparatus for and methods of -operatingi strip material and, moreip'articularly; relates toi novel apparatus for and' methods of severing: strip material in a continuous process;

In the formation of paper bags; strip material from which the bags are'formediisconducted between the forming rolls in a" highv speed continuous process. In cutting'the strip material into-properlengths for the bags, it is necessary to-materia1ly reduce the speedof that portion of' the strip which comes in'to'en'gagement with the cutting-knife to prevent tearing during: the

out;

This-is accomplished by providing a predetermined amount of slack material'at the cutting point, as for example, between the forming and slacker rolls; A'lever arm raises the" slack material into an arch. The cutting knifeenga'ges'th'e strip at'itsapex where'the direction of-movement of'the paper is changed and'a minimum' speed obtained; However, in order to maintain the process inoperation-at a high'rate of speed, it isoften necessary to use alargerfamount of slack material to make a successful cut-off; than. the space between the end of the former and the slacker rollswill permit.

Thisexcessive=slack material often "chokes the process, making it necessary. to' repjeatedlystop the machine at short intervals and clear: the choke. Stopping the process; however, results in a'loss of material and time. The onlyralterna tive available is to slow down the process, but this also entailsa loss and is equally undesirable;

I have discovered that. the necessaryv slack can be obtained by intermittentlyintroducingan excess in lag,' then taking up the lag and-repeating this-cycle. This I accomplish by: intermittently changing the rateofispeed' of operation at-the slacker rolls. These rolls are'firstrotated-at a speed" belowthat of the process so that the strip isnottakenup as fast as' itis fed through the formerrolls. A slack isthus produced between theformerand slacker rollsandthecut ting operationcompleted. Thereupon the speed of rotation of" thei'slacker rolls "isincreased" above that of the continuous process, taking" up the slack." This cycle'is then'repeated; Theaverage value'of the faster andslower speed of theslacker rolls is equal to the. average speed'of'the continuous process.

Accordingly; an object of inventionis' to providea novel method for producingra slack.

, Still a further object of' my invention is tozprovide means for automatically producing and taking up alarge slack.

Stilla' further object of my invention is to provide excess slack and means for automatically absorbing the excess slack. 5

Still another object of my invention is to provide the step in a continuous process which comprises intermittently increasing and decreasing the rate of speed of operation, the average speed being equal to the speed of the continuous process. 10'

There are other objects of my invention which, together with the foregoing, will appear in the detailed description which follows in connection with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the process involving my invention with certain parts omitted or broken away to show details of construction and installation.

Figure 2 is a view in part section elevation.

Figure 3 is-a cross sectionview of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, driving power for the mechanism is supplied from a motor (not shown) in any convenient manner tothe main driving shaft'I'. The shaft I is mounted in bearingsfiand 3-which are suitably supported by the housings 25 4 and 5-respectively, mounted on the base structure-"I of the machine framework. The shaft I is held imposition between the bearings 2-and 3 by the two collars 8 and 9 suitably fastened in position.

In addition to the motor drive for shaft I already described, this shaft may also be' driven through the gear I I 'rotatably secured by key I2 to one end of the'shaft I. Gear IImay-be connected through a train of' gears (not shown) 85 to any suitable driving power, as forexample, a manual drive.

Secured near the other end of the shaft I for rotation therewith is an eccentric gear I4 shown in more detail in FigureZ. The teeth of gear 40 I4 mesh with the teeth of gear I6 mounted on and for rotation with the shaft II to be described in more detail hereinafter. As clearly shown in Figure"2,.the geometric center of both gears It andIB are 'offsetwith respect to their'center of rotation which are the centers of 'the'shafts I and I1 respectively. As the shaft I rotates, those teeth which; in the figure shown; are at thatinstant meshing with teeth on the gear I6;-being furthest 'removed from the center ofrotatio'n, will be rotating--at a much faster rate of speed than the teeth-which are-shown-in the lowermost position and' -nearer'the geometric and rotating center of-rshaft I: When these latter teeth engage theiteeth'of gear I6, their decreased speed will produce a decrease in speed of rotation of the gear I6.-

This should be clear from the following: While the shaft I rotates counterclockwise through 180 moving the gear I4 from its present position 2! through 180 until it reaches the position 22, the gear tooth 23 which is approximately opposite this point 2 I is likewise moving until it reaches approximately the position now occupied by gear tooth 24.

During this same interval, the gear tooth 24 will have moved from its position around to approximately the position now occupied by the gear tooth 23. The path taken by gear tooth 24 is obviously much greater than that by the gear tooth 23, and accordingly, gear tooth 24 traveled much faster during this period.

This change in speed is transferred to gear I6 as the faster and slower rotating teeth of gear I4 engage the teeth of gear I6. In this manner, shaft I! to which gear I9 is secured is rotated first faster, then slower than a predetermined speed. By the arrangement of gears I4 and IS on shafts I and I! respectively, so that the gear teeth on the large portion of the cam on one gear I4 mesh with the teeth on the small portion of the gear I6, the center to center distance of the two shafts I and I1 is maintained fixed as the two gears rotate.

Gear I6 is mounted for rotation on the shaft I! which like gear I is properly journaled in bearings 25 and 26 and held in place by the sleeve members 21 and 28.

Bearings 25 and 25 are suitably supported in housings 4 and 5, each provided with a cap such as 29 bolted to the housing by the cap screws 30. Cap 29 is provided wtih an opening through which there extends a pressure screw 3! for shaft I I, having a lock nut 32. The entire housing is secured to the machines framework 1 by means of the cap screws 34. The framework is in turn provided with braces 35 which are held securely to the frame by the cap screws 36.

Secured to and rotatable with shaft I1 is a gear 37, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of a gear 38. Gear 38 is secured to and rotatable wtih a shaft 39 loosely mounted for rotation with respect to shaft I. Gear 31 partakes of the variable rotation of shaft I I and in turn transmits this form of rotation through gear 38 to shaft 39. Secured for rotation with shaft 39 is a roller 40 which is in operative relation with a roller 46' mounted on and rotatable with shaft IT.

The operation of the apparatus thus far described should now be clear. As shaft I is continuously driven at a uniform rate of speed, power is transferred through gears I4 and I6 to shaft II. By reason of the special construction of gears I4 and 26, the uniform speed of rotation of shaft I is translated into an intermittently faster and slower speed in shaft I 1 than the uniform speed of shaft I. The average speed of shaft I'I, however, may be measured as a fixed value bearing a definite relation tothe speed of shaft I and depending on the teeth ratio of gears I4 and I6.

This intermittently faster and slower rotation of shaft I 1 is in turn transferred to roller 40' and through gears 31 and 38 to roller 40 cooperating with roller 40' and known as the slacker rolls. As will be explained hereinafter the paper strip of the process is conducted between the slacker rolls 40 and 40. During the decreased speed, a slack is produced in the strip conducted thereto.

Thereafter, the slack is taken up as the speed of rotation of the slacker rolls is increased.

At the end of shaft I adjacent the gear II I have provided a cam 4| securely fastened by set screws and adjustable with respect to shaft I to permit orientation with respect thereto. In operative relation with the cam M is a cam follower 42 mounted on a stud 43 which in turn is securely connected to the cam lever 44 held in place in the casting 45 by the stud 46.

The casting 45 is in whole or in part, a housing for numerous parts as will appear hereinafter. Secured to the casting 45 by means of the screws 41 and 48 are plates 49 and 59 which function to hold the slide 5I in place. The slide SI is operated by a pin 52 securely fastened to the slide SI and extending through an elongated opening 53 in the cam lever 44.

Securely fastened to the slide plate 5I is a second plate 54 secured thereto by screws 55 which permit proper adjustment thereof. This entire sliding mechanism is normally held in its lowermost position by means of the spring 56, one end of which is secured to the framework and the other end to a screw eye 56 secured to the sliding mechanism.

The strip of material of the process is first fed by feed mechanism of any suitable construction and diagrammatically illustrated at 51' across the strip material former 57 (Figure 2) to shape and paste the material into proper shape. At the edge thereof, there is provided a'knife 58 for cutting lips in the material of proper shape.

The striker or breaker bar 59 is shown about to cut off the formed tube of the strip material 60 which has just been fed over the former 51 and after given the necessary slack, has been raised to the position shown by the slide bar 54. The operation is as follows:

As the shaft I is driven at a fixed rate of speed in accordance with the speed of the process, the gear I4 on shaft I will, during one interval, transfer a greater speed to the shaft I'i through gear I6. During another interval the gear I4 will transfer a decreased speed tlnpugh gear It to the shaft I1.

The over-all speed will, of course, still be the same as that of the motor driving the shaft I since a complete revolution for shaft I is made during a fixed interval of time. During this interval for one revolution, the shaft I! will, however, during one portion thereof, rotate at a greater speed and during another portion at a lesser speed than the speed of shaft I. During the period while the speed of shaft I I is less than the shaft I speed, the slacker rolls 49 and 49' will draw through less of the strip material than is fed through the former 57. The amount of slack material between former 51 and rolls 40' will accordingly be increased. 60

By proper adjustments of the cam 4I during this interval while the slack has been increased, the cam follower 42 will operate over the large portion of the cam M to move the lever 44 and the slide 55 to their uppermost position against the action of spring 56. When sufficient slack has been produced the cam follower 43 is riding over the largest portion of cam 4| which acts through lever 44 to raise the slider 55 to its uppermost position shown. At this instant, the cutter 39 which is rotatably operated (not shown) engages and cuts the formed strip material. At this period in the cycle, the speed of shaft I! becomes greater than the average speed and the slacker rolls 40 and 40' will accordingly conduct the strip material through faster than it is fed by the former 51, thus taking up the slack which formed during the preceding period in the cycle. As is well understood inthe art, the cut edge of the strip material is fed into the slacker rolls by its own stiffness after the cutter 59 in its rotation has passed above the strip material following the cut and the slide 55 has been carried downward through the action of cam lever 44 and out of the path of the material 60.

Although I have described my invention in connection with a specific adaptation thereof for operating strip material such as cellophane and the like, it will be clear that it has other adaptations and I do not propose to limit myself except insofar as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The steps in a continuous strip material process which comprises continuously feeding and forming strip material at a predetermined rate, intermittently producing a slack in said formed material, cutting the material at the slack and thereupon taking up said slack.

2. The steps in a continuous strip material process which comprises continuously feeding and forming strip material at a predetermined rate, intermittently producing a slack in said formed material, cutting the material at the slack and thereupon automatically taking up said slack.

3. In combination, means for feeding strip material, slacker rolls in operative relation with said feeding means for receiving said strip material between said rolls, means whereby said slacker rolls control the rate of movement of said strip material, and means for intermittently decreasing and increasing the speed of operation of said I slacker rolls below and above the speed of opera-' tion of said feeding means for correspondingly increasing and decreasing the rate of. movement of said strip material below and above the rate of movement produced by said feeding means for alternately producing and taking up slack in said material.

4. In combination, means for feeding strip material, slacker rolls in operative relation with said feeding means for receiving said strip material and means for intermittently decreasing and increasing the speed of operation of said slacker rolls to intermittently produce and take up a slack in said strip material and means for cutting said material in the slack thereof. 5

5. In combination, means for feeding strip material, slacker rolls in operative relation with said feeding means for receiving said strip material and means for intermittently decreasing and increasing the speed of operation of said slacker rolls and means for cutting the material when the. speed of operation has been decreased by the slacker rolls.

6. In combination, means forfeedingstrip material, slacker rolls in operative relation with said feeding means for receiving said strip material between said rolls, means whereby said slacker rolls control the rate of movement of said strip material, a first gear mounted off center for producing a variable speed of rotation and a second gear meshing therewith for transferring said variable speed of rotation to said slacker rolls for correspondingly increasing and decreasing the rate of movement of said strip material below and above the rate of movement produced by said feeding means for alternately producing and taking up slack in said material.

'7. In combination, means for feeding strip material, slacker rolls in operative relation with said feeding means for receiving said strip material and eccentrically mounted gear means for intermittently increasing and decreasing the speed of said slacker rolls to intermittently produce and take up a slack in said material and means for cutting said material in the slack thereof.

8. In combination, means for feeding strip material, slacker rolls in operative relation with said feeding means for receiving said strip material, a source of driving power and eccentrically mounted gears driven by said driving power and slacker rolls driven by said power through said gears whereby the speed of said rolls is intermittently increased and decreased to intermittently produce and take up a slack in said material and means for cutting said material in the slack thereof. 5

EDWARD T. JAEGER. 

